Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of working within two large public systems — K-12 public education and public health care.
In this journey, however, what has become increasingly clear is that despite advances in public health, the persistence of health challenges compounded by social barriers necessitates scalable interventions that sit at the intersection of public systems rather than perpetuate already prevalent silos. In fact, many health systems seeking to improve patient outcomes encounter patients overwhelmed by social and economic pressures that disrupt care plans.
There is a multitude of reasons why patients miss appointments — including prior negative experiences in a medical setting. However, surveys completed by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that for low-income women, a lack of child care was a prevalent reason for missing medical appointments. In response to these challenges, health systems have employed a variety of strategies to address patients' missed appointments, including alternating appointment times to accommodate working patients.
This partnership was informed by a survey of 300 Parkland patients who cited a lack of child care as a major impediment to keeping medical appointments. Immersed in a bright and child-centered environment, children of parents or family members receiving medical care at Parkland are cared for by licensed teachers.